Saturday, January 30, 2010

March 27 & 28 --- Our NINTH ANNUAL "African Rhythms" shows! --- twobenefit performances for the Build a School In Africa Project, nowfundraising for its 6th school in southern Mali, in partnership withSave the Children. We have an exciting lineup for you this year -- inaddition to traditional West African dance and music, we have Hip-Hop,Afro-Fusion and more! Build a School In Africa has been helping tobuild a school each year since 2005. Our 5th school was just completedin Mounkonkoro, and the 6th will begin construction in the village ofTabarako next November. Please come out to support this worthyproject - we're a 501(c)3 all-volunteer non-profit corporation, and100% of the proceeds go to the school building fund.

A full listing of regularly held West African Dance and Drum classes taught by master artists in and around Boston can be found at our website:www.wadabo.comWADaBo is an entirely volunteer effort, if you would like to help out in anyway, please contact wadabo@gmail.comWADaBo is a collective of individuals interested in promoting and enjoying Dance, Drum, Music, Language and Culture from West African and the DiasporaIf you would like to be removed from this list, or only contacted for certain events (performances, workshops, etc), please go tohttp://lists.wadabo.com/mailman/listinfo/wadabo_updatesand subscribe to this list. Pass it on!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Dear WADabo Family, As we are all watching the events unfold in Haiti, one of the most pressing questions is: How can I really help? Although it is critical to give in any way we can, it is hard to know with large, international organizations how your donations are spent and how people on the ground in Haiti are benefited.

One small scale, local option is being organized in part by our WADaBo friend, Selena Rhine, who was in Haiti during the earthquake. Upon her return to the states, Selena is running a benefit campaign for a food pantry in Port-au-Prince where she spent time while in Haiti. Called "Pou Soley Leve", this organization provided reduced priced meals to over 1000 people per day, from four sites throughout Cite Soleil (a very poor area of the city) before the earthquake. Amazingly, the organization still has access to a site that is partially operational and can be up and running again with our help. All the information for donations is below, along with Selena's contact info and details on an event being hosted in NYC.

As many of you know, I was in Haiti during the Earthquake last week. I am writing this to introduce Jean Yvon Kernizan, the man whose home I was a guest in and one of the small heroes of this epic disaster. I was at his dinner table when the earthquake hit and spent the next 48 hours with him, as we responded the best we knew how in the face of unspeakable circumstances.

Within 10 minutes of the quake, Yvon opened the doors of his courtyard to injured and scared neighbors, and immediately responded with integrity, care, and even humor. His family cooked rice to feed everyone, and he tended to serious wounds with basic household first aid supplies. The second evening, as hundreds of people began running up the hill to avoid the rumored tsunami, Yvon stepped into the street and helped the panicking crowd assess danger and eventually calm down. I was moved by the experience of watching Yvon at work. I could see clearly why he is considered a leader among his people, as he cares, he acts quickly, and he treats people with utmost dignity.

Yvon founded and directs, with his wife Beverly, a small grassroots organization called "Pou Soley Leve" that, before the earthquake, provided reduced priced meals to over 1000 people each day, from four sites throughout Cite Soleil. Yvon is now returning to Haiti to revive this hot food program, but will serve from his home that is miraculously still standing within a neighborhood of devastation.

Many of you have asked how you can help the Haitian people in a meaningful and direct way. I have chosen to help Yvon get this program running, rather than to donate to an international organization where a large portion of my money will go to administrative costs. In addition, I want someone on the ground who engages with this strong, but traumatized population, with dignity and respect.

At this time, every dollar to "Pou Soley Leve" will translate into a simple, prepared Haitian meal to the people of Debussy, Turgeau, and Canape Vert, neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince hit hard by the earthquake but not central to the news coverage.

Thank you all for your amazing support this last week. It has helped me tremendously, and has allowed me to figure out where to put my own efforts. Let's carry it forward and make something tangible happen, even when the cameras are off and the attention dies down.

In Gratitude, Selena

PS- please see our FB page and event this Thursday in NY.

Hot Food Initiative

Several days after the earthquake, many of the Haitian people continue to be without food, water and essential medical care. We have all heard the stories - medical supplies and food stockpiled at the airport, millions of dollars being donated to organizations with high administrative costs. Haiti has a long history of international aid never reaching the people, and unfortunately this time may be no different.

The generosity of Americans has been unprecedented, but many Americans are looking for a trusted grassroots organization where donations will directly reach the Haitian people. Pou Soley Leve provides this opportunity. A donation to Pou Soley Leve - www.pousoleilleve.org goes only to providing cooked meals to Haitians in need - no distribution problems, no governmental interference, and small overhead- only salaries for the Haitians preparing the meals.

Pou Soley Leve

Hot Food Kitchen

Pou Soley Leve is a grassroots organization in Haiti that has provided hot meals to Haitians in Cite Soleil, Port-au-Prince since 2004. Pou Soleil Leve was founded by Jean Yvon Kernizan and Beverly Sanon. Yvon and Beverly both worked in New York City for over 25 years, and then returned to Port-au-Prince to engage in community work.

After evacuating post-earthquake, Yvon and Beverly now return to Haiti to revive the organization's meal program, this time out of Yvon's home in Port-au-Prince. They are in a unique position to provide food to the people. As an established community organization, Pou Soley Leve will be able to access raw food distribution from international aid groups. As locals, Yvon and Beverly can tap into Haitian food markets as they emerge again. And because the home's kitchen is still standing, they can cook the food - raw ingredients will be useless for the majority of Port-au-Prince residents whose homes have been destroyed.

Two benefit performances for the Build a School In Africa Project: March 27 & 28 --- Our NINTH ANNUAL "African Rhythms" shows! --- two benefit performances for the Build a School In Africa Project, now fundraising for its 6th school in southern Mali, in partnership with Save the Children. We have an exciting lineup for you this year -- in addition to traditional West African dance and music, we have Hip-Hop, Afro-Fusion and more! Build a School In Africa has been helping to build a school each year since 2005. Our 5th school was just completed in Mounkonkoro, and the 6th will begin construction in the village of Tabarako next November. Please come out to support this worthy project - we're a 501(c)3 all-volunteer non-profit corporation, and 100% of the proceeds go to the school building fund.Saturday, March 27th, 7:30 P.M: Cronin Auditorium at the Bromfield School, 14 Massachusetts Ave (Rte 111) , Harvard, MA. Sunday, March 28th, 7:30 P.M., Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts, 40 Stow St. Concord, MA 01742. This is an exciting new venue for us, and a convenient location for folks in the Metro-Boston area.

About

Welcome to the Blog of WADaBo (West African Dance in Boston)! We are a group of individuals engaged in a collective effort to promote West African Dancing, Drumming, Music and Culture in and around Boston.

There are many master teachers here who teach a myriad of classes, and a vibrant community of students. We hope that this site can serve as a mode of communication amongst this community, a means of promotion for teachers based in Boston, as well as those who are going to be holding guest workshops here.

This Blog serves primarily as a public archive of / alternative consumption method for the WADaBo email list. If you would like to contribute to either, please get in touch. wadabo [at] g mail d o t c o m